The Easter Vigil Service (15 April 2006 )

　　The Easter Vigil service (photo) is the first Easter service, and takes place on the night of Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the Saturday after Good Friday which is often, but wrongly, called Easter Saturday.

　　The idea behind the service is for faithful Christians to wait and watch, hopeful and confident that Christ will return at midnight.

　　The Easter candle (photos) is lit during this service. The service traditionally begins outside the church, where minister and some worshippers gather around a fire - a charcoal brazier is common.

　　The service begins with words like these:

　　Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer.

　　After being lit outside, the candle is carried into the church, where most of the worshippers are waiting in darkness, which symbolises the darkness of Christ's tomb.

Vocabulary:

　　vernal equinox: 春分

　　Eostre: 伊奥斯特，撒克逊黎明女神。它的原意是指“冬日逝去后春天的太阳从东方升起，把新生命带回”。由于该词喻意“新生”，于是被基督教教徒借用过来表示光明的恩赐者耶稣再次回到人间。

　　Phoenician: 腓尼基人的，生活于叙利亚沿岸

　　Astarte: 阿斯塔蒂，腓尼基人所崇拜的丰饶女神，传统上掌管爱情和生育。

　　The Easter Vigil Service: 复活节守夜礼,在复活前夕，教会守夜不眠、等待着基督的复活，并以圣事来庆祝。守夜礼分四个主要部分：烛光礼，圣道礼，洗礼，圣祭礼。

　　Good Friday: the Friday before Easter, observed by Christians in commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus（耶稣受难日，复活节前的星期五，被基督教徒作为耶稣受难节予以纪念）